'Men' TV star says no disrespect intended in 'filth' claim

LOS ANGELES | By Jill Serjeant

Cast member Angus T. Jones participates in a panel for CBS series ''Two and a Half Men'' during the CBS sessions at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, California, in this January 11, 2012 file photo.

Reuters/Phil McCarten

LOS ANGELES "Two and a Half Men" teen actor Angus T. Jones, who caused a media furor by calling his own show "filth," apologized on Tuesday for disrespecting the creator, cast and crew of the raunchy TV comedy.

But Jones, 19, whose distaste for the show was prompted by a his new-found Christian beliefs, did not retract his YouTube appeal to fans to stop watching the show, nor his own claims of discomfort at being part of one of the top-rated comedies on U.S. television.

"Without qualification, I am grateful to and have the highest regard and respect for all of the wonderful people on 'Two and a Half Men' with whom I have worked and over the past ten years who have become an extension of my family," Jones, who plays fun-loving teen Jake Harper, said in a statement.

"I apologize if my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity of which I have been blessed. I never intended that," he added.

Jones started working on the show at the age of 9, playing the role of nephew to actor Charlie Sheen's womanizing, partying bachelor character.

Sheen was sensationally fired from the CBS comedy in 2011 for bad behavior off screen and replaced by Ashton Kutcher, but "Two and a Half Men" is still known for its risque humor.

In a YouTube video made for the California-based Forerunner Christian Church, Jones on Monday asked millions of fans to stop watching the show "and filling your head with filth."

"You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that," he added, saying he no longer wanted to be part of it.

The CBS network, and Warner Bros. Television which makes the comedy, have declined to comment. Jones, who has several months left on his more-than-$350,000-per-episode contract, issued his statement after a rehearsal on Tuesday.

Sheen, whose "Two and a Half Men" exit was accompanied by a spate of bizarre rantings and Internet monologues, on Tuesday called Jones's verbal assault a "meltdown."

"It is clear to me that the show is cursed," Sheen commented in a statement.

"Two and A Half Men," now in its 10th season, is watched by about 14 million Americans and is seen in more than 20 countries around the world.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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